


Weak Points

by shinysylver



Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Assassination Attempt(s), Assassination Plot(s), Bespin, Canon-Typical Violence, Cloud City, Enemies to Lovers, Getting Together, Hux in Praetorian Guard armor if thats a thing you might like, Kylo Ren Has Issues, M/M, Post-Star Wars: The Last Jedi, The Force, The Force Ships It, Uneasy Allies
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-21
Updated: 2019-12-21
Packaged: 2021-02-26 06:28:26
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,516
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21888919
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shinysylver/pseuds/shinysylver
Summary: When Hux is the target of an assassination attempt in the middle of a diplomatic mission to Bespin, he has nowhere to turn for help. Unless he can bring himself to trust Kylo Ren.
Relationships: Armitage Hux/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren, Armitage Hux/Kylo Ren
Comments: 19
Kudos: 317
Collections: Kylux Fanworks Secret Santa 2019





	Weak Points

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ArsTyrannus](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ArsTyrannus/gifts).



> ArsTyrannus, I really hope you enjoy this fic. I tried to give you canon-verse enemies to lovers and during my deep dive into your tumblr I saw you liked the idea of Hux wearing the Praetorian Guard armor. Thus a story was born. Happy Holidays!
> 
> The first scene is directly from the Age of Resistance: Supreme Leader Snoke comic using the setting and dialogue although I wanted to know more about what Kylo might be thinking and feeling. If you haven't read it, it's what happens when Snoke takes him to the Cave of Evil on Dagobah and has him confront his family. I also incorporated things that happened in the Age of Resistance: General Hux comic. Primarily the fact that Hux has been the target of assassination before.
> 
> Thanks so much to huxandthehound for betaing this fic and making it so much better than it would have been otherwise and thanks to inquisitor_tohru for egging me on.

**Then**

Kylo struggled to control his breathing, adrenaline coursing through him as he stood over the smoking body of his uncle. He hadn’t failed his master. He’d overcome his doubt and channeled his rage the way Snoke had taught him. 

He clicked off his lightsaber. “I’m done.”

_You are not done. It is far from over._ Snoke spoke in his mind.

“Ben?” 

The sense of triumph he’d felt disappeared as soon as he heard his father’s voice.

“Ben. Please stop,” Leia said, her voice soft with understanding. It was the voice he remembered most from his childhood: his mother telling him stories before bed. 

Telling him lies.

She extended her hand to him. “Please, Ben.”

He dropped his eyes, unable to look at her. “That… that isn’t my name.”

“It is. You are Ben Solo,” Han spoke up.

“You are our son. And you are loved.” Leia tried to move closer, but Han held her back. As always his father feared him and his power. 

_I feel the struggle within you. Defeat it._ Snoke directed, barely containing his glee at the situation.

Kylo stared at his parents; his mother was still reaching out and begging him to come home. He’d already done as Snoke asked, killing his uncle. He’d proven himself. What would two more murders really prove other than to provide entertainment for Snoke? 

He knew what he had to do.

Kylo closed his eyes and hastily imagined a wall in his mind, a place so impenetrable that even Snoke wouldn’t be able to see beyond it. He pushed all of his doubts and the last lingering affection he felt for his parents behind that wall. 

Mental barrier in place, he ignited his lightsaber. 

_Yes. I feel your lightsaber ignite. I feel the decision you’ve made._

That was all of the confirmation he needed. Snoke couldn’t sense the nature of his decision, just that one had been made. He wasn't as all-powerful as he wanted to let on. Kylo channeled all of his anger at the situation and lashed out, destroying the cave itself while his parents looked on. He was done being manipulated by Snoke. 

It was time to bury the past and build his own future. 

**Now**

Hux glance over his shoulder, sure that he'd heard the scuff of muffled footsteps, but the corridor was empty. He slid his dagger out of his sleeve, the familiar shape of the handle in his hand a comfort, and sped up. He'd been cautious his whole life, some might even say paranoid, but it had kept him alive this long despite several attempts on his life.

A soft click sounded behind him followed by the all too familiar hum of a blaster about to fire. He didn't waste time, ducking immediately into the closest room. He felt the heat of a hot blaster bolt as it flew past him, barely missing his cheek and leaving a charred mark on the closing door. 

Hux took several deep breaths to calm his nerves and fiddled with the control panel next to the door. Unfortunately it wasn't built with a locking mechanism. Apparently these cloud miners didn't worry about thieves in their midst. Idiots. 

He pressed his back against the wall and looked around the room. It was a large storage closet, full of assorted droid parts and other mechanical items. The powered down droids cast unnerving, humanoid shadows, but the room appeared otherwise empty. He pushed aside his unease and focused back on the corridor listening for movement. 

Hux gripped his dagger, wishing that he had his blaster, but the Baron-Administrator had insisted that all blasters be locked up at the beginning of negotiations. Ren, of course, had gotten to keep his lightsaber, so in his infinite wisdom he hadn't hesitated to approve the ridiculous demand. 

Hux leaned closer to the door, straining his hearing. Surely the person who had shot at him wouldn't be far behind. A rustle of armor behind him interrupted his focus on the corridor. By the time he moved to turn around, it was too late. He felt a sharp stabbing pain in his side, quickly followed by three more. Each blow was excruciating and he fell to the ground, unable to take a proper breath. 

A stormtrooper stood over him, impossible to identify with his helmet on. He was holding a long, wickedly curved knife that was covered in blood up to the hilt. 

"Who are you?" Hux gasped out. He dropped his own dagger to press both hands against his side, trying desperately to stop the bleeding. Hot blood poured out, slicking his hands and soaking through his uniform. He wasn't going to last long without medical care.

The trooper didn't answer. He studied Hux for a moment before leaning down and searching him roughly. Hux struggled weakly, but his strength was already draining away. When the trooper stood up he had Hux's comlink in his blood-stained hand. He dropped it onto the floor and crushed it under the heel of his boot. He dumped the dagger he'd used against Hux near the door and exited the room.

Hux mustered the last of his energy and managed to drag himself the few feet to his destroyed comlink. He picked up the shattered thing and tried to use it anyway, mashing the button and choked out: "General Hux to Finalizer."

There was no answer, not even static. He rested his head against the floor, trying to summon a last reserve of energy, but he could barely breathe and was growing dizzy. 

He'd always thought his death would be grander than this.

**

Discreetly rubbing at the tension headache throbbing at the base of his skull, Kylo tried in vain to focus on the diplomats bickering over the minor details of a trade deal that he had no intention of actually honoring. The never-ending meetings were driving him mad. This whole negotiation was nothing more than an elaborate theater production, but not even the First Order negotiators knew that, so he had to play his role. 

Bespin and its various city states may have maintained neutrality under the Empire, but he had every intention of bringing the entire system under the Order's rule. They needed the Tibanna gas to cool their hyperdrives and he wasn't about to actually pay for it. He’d much rather a straightforward fight, but unfortunately an invasion risked destroying the cloud mining operations, and the Order, being short of supplies, couldn’t afford the time it would take to rebuild them. 

So Hux had come up with an elaborate ruse: while the negotiations in Cloud City dragged on for days, Order spies were infiltrating the control systems of the various cities and positioning themselves for a quick takeover. 

As much as Kylo hated it, he knew that Hux's approach was the right one. 

The more he thought about Hux, the more his headache surged, becoming impossible to ignore. He closed his eyes and tried to will the pain away, but his concentration was broken by a distracting niggle at the back of his mind. It was a whisper in the Force, too soft to make out under the pain, but it pulled at his attention. 

He closed his eyes and completely phased out the inane discussions so he could trace the whisper back to the darkest corner of his mind. He knew this place, although he rarely visited it anymore. 

In his mind's eye he stood before the towering brick wall that he'd built years ago to hide his true intentions from Snoke. Since then he’d shoved anything he wanted to hide from Snoke behind it—all of the doubts and attachments that his master had disapproved of. 

Rage had been safe—Snoke praised his rage—but over the years, he’d sharpened his focus by hiding away every other strong emotion. It had become something of a crutch during his apprenticeship, but the last time he’d needed it was when he’d killed his father. 

Once he’d eliminated Snoke and taken his rightful place, he no longer needed to hide his true thoughts. However, the wall was still there holding back every distraction and unwanted emotion that could threaten his destiny. It may have started as a place to protect his thoughts from Snoke, but now it kept him from wavering on his path.

Or at least it did when it was intact. He shouldn’t be able to sense anything from behind the wall, but something was calling to him now.

Kylo ran his hands over the rough bricks, tracing the deep crack that ran through the center. The crack was new, the results of the emotional blow he’d absorbed when he’d killed his father. 

_I killed Han Solo. When the moment came, I didn't hesitate._

_And look at you, the deed split your spirit to the bone._

Snoke hadn’t been wrong. Killing his father had nearly brought his carefully constructed wall down, but it had managed to hold up to the chaos and even protected his true thoughts from Snoke when it mattered most. However, it had been weakened enough that he could feel the Force tugging at him from the other side now. 

It was warning him that he needed to act fast. 

He only hesitated briefly before focusing in on the warning, pulling it free of the wall. The Force calling to him was tinged with Light, but he wasn’t in the habit of ignoring a direct warning no matter the origin. Besides, there was still enough Dark in it to reassure him that it would be worth his time. 

The bricks around the crack crumbled a bit more as he made room for the warning and the accompanying emotions to escape. He'd have to mend the hole later.

Kylo came out of his meditation and stood up abruptly, his negotiators rushing to rise with him. "Stay. Continue. I'll be back."

"Yes, Supreme Leader," the general in charge of negotiations said with a deferential bow. He could feel the man’s irritation at the interruption beneath his feigned respect. Funny how working with these idiots made him miss Hux’s barely veiled sarcasm. At least it was more honest. 

Kylo left the room, following the pull in the Force to a small storage closet several corridors away. Instead of growing louder as he got closer, the whisper was quickly fading as the life-force he was following drained away.

He opened the door, concerned that he would be too late, and found Hux on the ground in a pool of his own blood. His presence in the Force had always been a smoldering red, reminding Kylo of a hot coal, but now it was a barely present flicker.

Hux turned his head when Kylo entered and actually managed to laugh, a gurgling sound that exposed his bloodstained teeth. "Of course it's you. Just kill me now, Ren. This is your fault anyway." He paused, gasping, and extended his hand in the squeezing gesture that Kylo used for a Force choke. "Just do it."

"That's quite a speech for someone so near death," Kylo said. He studied the room, taking in the abandoned knife and the destroyed comlink. Clearly Hux had been on the wrong end of an organized attack. "How is this my fault? Your ineptitude is your own."

Hux laughed again, but it immediately devolved into a wet cough, blood flecking his lips. "You humiliate me in front of my men. Is it any wonder that they no longer fear me?"

“I seem to recall attempts on your life long before I rose to my current position.” Kylo pointed out mildly. 

Hux didn’t have a response for that, resorting to a murderous scowl.

"You do remember. You tried to blame me then too."

"I hate you." Hux sneered. "Supreme Leader."

The title sounded like a curse on Hux's lips and it was all Kylo could do not to correct the impertinence. But that was what Hux wanted him to do. He was baiting Kylo and Kylo had no intention of falling for it.

Hux was still showing enough life that he could wait a moment for Kylo to examine the crime scene. He picked up the bloody knife. It was a kind used often in the various mining communities around Bespin, and if Hux's insinuations about someone in the fleet being responsible were correct, then someone was trying to frame the locals. Such an action could threaten their operations on Bespin which were too delicate to risk upending now. 

Besides, Hux was his chosen fleet commander and an attack on him was as good as taking an action against Kylo. Mutiny was unacceptable.

"What are you waiting for? Me to bleed out?" Hux asked, his voice barely more than a thready whisper. His desperation and fear was thick in the room, making the Dark Side sing. But while most men would have already given in to death, he was still holding on to life by a thread like the survivor he was. 

It was almost admirable. 

Kylo bent down and placed a hand on Hux's forehead and pushed with the Force, pressing his will onto Hux's. "Sleep."

Hux's eyes drifted closed and his mind was finally quiet. Kylo took a moment to survey the damage with the Force. It was bad, but nothing that couldn't be fixed. He extended tendrils of the Force into Hux's body. He visualized himself blowing the Force across Hux's life force and the dim red glow brightened slightly. "You aren't going to die. I won't let you."

**

Hux never expected to wake up, let alone in the Supreme Leader's private suite. He was disoriented at first--he'd never been in a bed with so many pillows in his life--but he recognized the ornate wall hangings from the many reports he'd delivered to Ren here over the last week. 

He was in the center of the large bed which was positioned opposite a wall-sized window so that the occupant could look out onto the clouds. He stared out the window for a moment, trying to recall the events that led him here.

The last thing Hux remembered was Ren finding him. He'd fully expected to die of blood loss, and when Ren found him instead he hadn't held his tongue. He'd had nothing left to lose and Ren choking him had to be preferable to slowly drowning in his own blood, but apparently that hadn't happened. 

He tried to get up, but the pain in his side was overwhelming and he fell back against the pillows. 

"I wouldn't try to move. The medical droids will be back later to finish repairing the damage. It needed to be done in stages." 

Hux jumped at Ren's voice, which sent a wave of white hot pain through his side. Ren was sitting in a shadowy corner of the room. Hux had missed him when he woke, too distracted by the bed and the window. Apparently he needed to work on his awareness. At least this time it wasn't a murderous stormtrooper. 

It was something much worse.

Hux forced a neutral expression and turned to Ren. "What did you do?"

"Saved your life," Ren answered. "Feel free to express your gratitude."

Hux ignored him, instead pushing off the blankets and lifting his head just enough to see his side. It was swathed in bandages, but despite the pain when he moved he realized that he was breathing fine. "They repaired the lungs first."

Ren nodded. "If there are no complications from the procedure they'll repair the muscles tonight." Ren stood up and held a hand over Hux's torso, his eyes closed. He tilted his head as if he was listening for something. "There won't be any complications."

Usually when Ren used the Force on him it was painful and humiliating. Whether he was being choked or thrown or having his mind invaded, it was never pleasant, so this new diagnostic use was completely unexpected. "I don't feel anything."

Ren opened his eyes and lowered his hand. "Why would you?"

"It's been my experience that the Force hurts."

Ren frowned at him. "It doesn't have to."

Hux waved a hand to dismiss the topic, instead focusing on the matter at hand. "How long have I been out?"

"A few hours," Ren answered. “Do you know who attacked you?"

"No." Hux scowled. Whoever it was had had hours to cover their tracks. "They were wearing stormtrooper armor. They may have even been a stormtrooper for all I know."

"Still think your 'exceptionally trained' men are preferable to a Clone army?" 

"Death may have been preferable to another miserable moment with you," Hux snapped before he could stop himself. 

Ren shook his head, but he ignored the insult. “If you are correct, this is the second time your men have tried to assassinate you. It makes me question your suitability as fleet commander.”

“Then why did you bother saving my life?” Hux asked. It wasn’t the first time Ren had saved him. He'd saved Hux's life several times on Bylsma’s planet. Sure, he'd tried to play his protection off as accidental, but as with all things Ren was a bad actor. It had been easy to pretend his actions had been motivated by fear of crossing Snoke, but in retrospect Snoke hadn't cared that much about Hux’s fate and Ren certainly hadn't cared care that much about Snoke’s opinion. 

If he did, he wouldn’t have killed him.

Ren turned his back on Hux and gazed out the window. “You're a survivor, Hux. Any ordinary man would have died long before I found you."

Hux blinked in surprise. "Careful Ren, that sounds dangerously close to a compliment."

“An attack against you is in effect an attack against me. I can't let it stand. Especially not in the middle of this operation.”

Hux wished he could see Ren's face. He'd never spoken so openly or complimentary before. Hux struggled into a sitting position, keeping the pillows behind him. "Then you should know there have been other attempts."

Ren spun around. "What?"

Hux shrugged, ignoring the burn as his torn muscles tried to move. Now that he was prepared for the pain it was easier to ignore. "I wasn't sure at first. It was just little things, easily explained away. Errant blaster bolts that came too close for comfort during the battle on Demos Four. The broken life support system on my shuttle last month. The attack today confirmed it."

"Why didn't you report the previous incidents?"

"Why would I? It's not like you've ever cared for my well being." Hux sighed. "Besides, I'm not new to the murderous politics of the Order. The shuttle crash that you were witness to wasn’t the first and this incident won’t be the last.” He met Ren’s eyes. “And it’s not like I haven’t made my own moves. How do you think I rose to my current position? You aren't the only one in the room with a taste for patricide."

Ren scowled. "Tell me everything about this attack."

Hux took a moment to order his thoughts and then relayed everything that had happened to the best of his memory. He'd been trained in observation and he shared everything from suspicious noises to the size of the person's boots. He knew that if he left anything out, Ren would sense it, and he'd rather not have his mind invaded. 

"And then I woke up here." He paused and looked around Ren's room again. It was the nicest accommodation in the city, but he doubted the tapestries or luxurious bedding impressed Ren. The one thing he had in common with the Jedi was his asceticism. "Why _am_ I here?"

"No one enters these rooms without my express permission. I thought it best to keep what happened quiet."

Hux leaned forward as much as his wounds would allow. "No one knows I'm alive?"

"I've spoken to no one. Not even my personal guards."

"Are you serious about helping me?" Hux asked. At Ren's brisk nod, he continued. "Then no one can know. If they think the attack was successful then the perpetrators will overplay their hand."

"I'd rather just interrogate everyone and then kill the would-be assassin,” Ren nearly whined. "I hate covert operations."

"I doubt that taking time out to interrogate every officer and stormtrooper in Cloud City will help with our ruse here. We need the Tibanna gas, Ren. We can't let this set back hinder that." Hux allowed himself to smile at Ren, a cruel twist of his lips. "But once we unmask the perpetrator I have no complaints with you killing them. Violently."

Ren raised an eyebrow. “Last time you insisted on doing it yourself.”

“Last time was personal,” Hux said, thinking fondly on the death of Admiral Brooks. He’d spent years waiting for an opportunity to eliminate the man and revenge really was best served cold. “This time I’d be content to watch you disembowel the perpetrator. I know how much this undercover operation is chafing at your desire for action.”

“How thoughtful of you,” Ren said dryly, although Hux could have sworn he was hiding amusement. “I suppose they’ll expect a body to be discovered. Is there anyone you'd recommend to fill the role?"

"FN-6332 is particularly inept. He'll die in the next battle anyway," Hux suggested. "And I doubt his battalion will miss him. Let them think he's going for reconditioning."

Ren nodded. "I'll take care of it." 

The door buzzed and Ren let in the two medical droids. They were efficient creations, completely lacking in emotion and only focused on their jobs. Hux had no doubts that they would keep his survival a secret. He appreciated the efficiency and loyalty of Order droids as compared to the more capricious droids that were found elsewhere. 

"Try not to draw attention to yourself," Hux told Ren, before he leaned back and closed his eyes so the droids could work.

"You should avoid overstepping your role. I’m still the Supreme Leader.” Ren responded before he left the room. 

It was a mild rebuke, lacking the usual threat. Maybe Ren really did want to help him.

**

Hux was asleep when Kylo returned to the room several hours later. His color was better and his breathing was deep and even. He'd probably be sore for a few days and he'd have scars, but he was alive. 

Kylo pulled over the chair with a wave of his hand and watched Hux as he slept, his eyes sweeping over the strong line of his cheekbones to his uncharacteristically tousled hair. He'd always found Hux attractive, but it was easier to acknowledge that when he wasn't awake to glare with hatred or smirk with disdain. 

His… interest… in Hux was one of the emotions that he’d crammed behind the wall. He’d had no intention of letting Snoke see the attraction he felt. Even without knowing about his complicated feelings, Snoke had played them against each other. It would have been much worse if he hadn’t buried everything except the darker emotions Hux provoked in him. 

Besides, Kylo had known that growing attached to someone else would hold him back from his destiny, so he’d repressed those feelings and lashed out at Hux to keep him at arm’s length. Feelings like anger, humiliation, and jealousy did so much more for his power than the softer, lighter feelings Hux had the potential to engender in him. Or at least that’s what he’d always told himself. 

There had been a time when they first met that Hux had extended a hand to him, wanting to work together, but he’d burned that bridge out of self preservation. Hux was always seeking strong allies—his relationship with Phasma was a testament to that—but Kylo hadn’t had any interest in binding himself to someone else. 

Just looking at the other man was making his headache return, and Kylo let himself sink into meditation, once again appearing in front of the wall in his mind. Now that he’d let out all of his feelings for Hux, he was confronted with a wide array of unfamiliar emotions—attraction, reluctant admiration, even a wary respect. Hux was a weak man, lacking the Force or any other real power, but he’d managed to survive and rise to a high position due entirely to his shrewd ruthlessness. It was commendable.

It was tempting to save himself the discomfort and cram the feelings back behind the wall, but that was the path both Snoke and Luke would have encouraged. He'd denounced both of them, so why should he follow their counsel in this?

He was determined to create his own path in the Force and the one thing he knew for sure was that killing his father had done nothing for his strength. Attachments may be a risk, but eliminating them entirely wasn't necessarily the answer. 

He wasn’t a fool; he knew that Hux was biding his time to get vengeance on him the same way he’d methodically taken out his father and his father’s friends. Snoke had always fostered that ambition and spite, aiming it at his enemies, but Kylo wondered if there was another, better way. 

He’d given Hux one lukewarm compliment earlier and it had shaken Hux to his core, his uncertainty and desperate need for respect ringing loud and clear in the Force. If Kylo could figure out how to foster loyalty from Hux instead of enmity, then maybe he would stop spending half his time plotting Kylo’s murder and devote his cunning to fulfilling Kylo’s destiny. 

Mind made up, Kylo envisioned a bucket of mortar and spread a thick layer over the crack in the wall, trying to shore up the weakest places. He kept his feelings for Hux safely outside. They could prove useful.

“Ren?” Kylo opened his eyes and found Hux staring at him. “Is it done?”

“A local found the body,” Kylo told him. “I made sure that everyone saw you and not FN-6332.”

“Magic has its uses,” Hux mumbled, eyes drooping closed again.

“It does.” Kylo stood up and returned the chair to the corner with another gratuitous display of the Force. “Move over.”

Hux’s eyes shot wide open. “What?”

“The bed is large enough for two.” Kylo stripped out of his outerwear. “We both need sleep.”

Hux made some indignant noises, but he moved over to one side and Kylo slid in next to him. 

“I know you’ve been plotting my death for at least three years,” Kylo said. “But I wouldn’t recommend trying anything tonight. I’m a very light sleeper.”

“Four years,” Hux corrected. “But only seriously the last three months.”

“Hux….”

“Don’t worry. I’m not stupid enough to kill my only ally when I’m the target of an unsolved assassination plot.”

Ally. Kylo liked the sound of that. Rey had turned down his offer of a partnership, but perhaps he didn’t have to be entirely alone after all. 

**

Hux shifted uncomfortably in front of the mirror. He’d never worn robes before, let alone this much armor and he felt like he was drowning under all of the bulky layers. The extra weight was straining his newly repaired muscles, making them ache. It didn’t help that the armor was meant for someone much larger than him. 

"Good," Ren said as he entered the room. "You're already ready."

Hux looked down at the red armor. “Is this really necessary?”

“You could stay here,” Ren suggested. “And leave everything to me.”

“You fight dirty. As if I’d trust this to you.” Hux straightened, ignoring the discomfort as his skin pulled taut over the newly mended stab wounds. "What happened?"

"Admiral Luss has requested an audience." 

"He's supposed to be on Kessel." Kessel was about as far from Bespin as you could get. "You didn't order him back to the fleet, did you?"

"Why would I? He's an arrogant relic of a time long past," Ren said. "He hates me more than you and hides it even worse."

Hux smirked at Ren's description. Hux admired the history of the Empire as much as the next person, but Ren wasn't wrong about Luss being a relic. Luss had been an Imperial officer, another one of his father's friends, with an inflated sense of his own worth who hadn't let go of his glory days. He was too busy looking at the past to see the future the First Order was building and he never hesitated to undercut Hux's authority. 

_That's not how we did it in my day._

_At least Lord Vader respected Grand Moff Tarkin. The Solo boy hates you._

It was why Hux had shipped him off to Kessel. Although he probably should have just told Ren that Luss referred to him as "the Solo boy" in private. Luss wouldn't have survived long enough to orchestrate an assassination.

"I don't know," Hux said. "You're starting to grow on me. Save my life a few more times and we'll talk."

A brief smile crossed Ren's face, there and gone so fast that Hux doubted that he'd seen it at all. "So we think it's him then?"

"He's arrogant and he hates me," Hux said. "It's definitely him."

Ren nodded and gestured to the closet. "Then it's time."

Hux bent awkwardly and picked up the vibro-voulge, testing its balance. “I’m not trained to use this.”

“It’s just for appearances.”

He'd have to find a place to hide a blaster and his dagger, because he refused to be functionally unarmed. He set the pole arm down and went back to examining the armor more closely. “How do you turn on the magnetic field?”

“You don’t,” Ren answered abruptly. “I had it removed.”

Snoke had equipped his Praetorian Guard with cutting edge magnetic field generating armor to deflect blaster shots and resist lightsaber strikes. Without the energy field the armor was still superior to even the most elite stormtrooper units, but it wasn’t impenetrable. He’d only been wearing it for five minutes and he’d already identified several vulnerable points. 

“From this armor or all of it?”

“All of it.” Ren tossed him his helmet. “The last thing I need is lightsaber-resistant guards.”

“Afraid that they’re holding a grudge for killing their comrades on the Supremacy?”

Ren jerked his head up sharply, which was all Hux needed to confirm his suspicions. “That was Rey.”

Hux put on the helmet. “I’m not stupid, Ren. I know you killed Snoke.” His words came out muffled, lacking impact.

“And you kept it to yourself?”

Hux tried to shrug, but he could barely move his shoulders. “Who was I going to tell?”

For all his mockery of Ren’s competence, Hux knew better than to underestimate him. That had been Snoke’s downfall. He wasn’t about to make the same mistake. 

Besides he hadn't been lying before. This wasn't the first time Ren had saved his life and he couldn't discount how powerful Ren could be as an ally instead of an enemy. Snoke had never been anything other than a distant commander. 

Ren tilted his head the way he’d done earlier when he’d been using the Force to study Hux’s wounds. He didn’t know what Ren was looking for, but after a moment he nodded and stalked out of the room, gesturing for Hux to follow. 

The armor slowed him down, but once he figured out the most efficient way to move, Hux felt he did a pretty good job emulating the real Praetorian guards who were occasionally seen flanking Ren as he stalked through the corridors. At least when Ren allowed them to. If the guards weren't such a powerful visual associated with Emperor Palpatine's glorious rule then Ren would have probably ditched them months ago. 

Ren paused at the door to the rooms that the Baron-Administrator had set aside for negotiations. Hux preceded him into the room--displays of power and authority were excellent during negotiations--and took up a position with the other three guards behind Ren's seat at the table. 

The helmet allowed for a wider range of vision than he expected and he studied the other guards out of the corner of his eye, trying to emulate their stance. He didn’t know what Ren had told them or where the fourth guard had disappeared to, but he hoped that they’d taken their vow of loyalty to Ren seriously or his presence wouldn't be a secret for long. 

The Baron-Administrator stood up, bending stiffly at the waist. “I was sorry to hear about the tragedy that befell your General Hux. Cloud City extends its condolences and any assistance you need is yours.”

Hux may not have the Force, but he didn’t need it to sense the terror emanating from the man. He was scared that Ren would hold him responsible for the murder. Lucky for him the attempt to frame Bespin hadn’t worked. Although they could probably leverage the situation for a better negotiation stance--if they intended to actually honor a deal. 

“The First Order appreciates your understanding,” Ren said formally. “We ask for a pause in the negotiations while we handle the matter.”

Ren followed the script they’d created word for word, but Hux couldn’t help wondering what he would have said if Hux had actually died. Probably nothing. He’d have likely fallen for the misdirection and dropped Hux’s strategy in favor of an outright battle. 

With Phasma gone, he doubted that anyone would miss him. Not that he thought she would mourn him, the idea was ridiculous, but she would have at least missed his support when it came to the stormtrooper program. 

Ren frowned in his direction, and he ruthlessly suppressed his meandering thoughts. The last thing he needed was for Ren to think him a maudlin fool.

“Of course,” the Baron-Administrator stammered. “We’ll reconvene at your convenience.”

Ren stood and swept out of the room, the guards and Hux following him all the way to his transport ship. They'd meet Luss on the Finalizer in order to avoid a scene on Cloud City. It wouldn't do to let word of dissent in the ranks spread amongst the civilians. The Resistance would be able to leverage that kind of weakness if they heard of it.

**

With the loss of the Supremacy, they'd retrofitted the Finalizer, turning it into the flagship. That included adding a throne room befitting the Supreme Leader. Kylo rarely used it, but with the four Praetorian guards spread out on either side of the throne it did create an intimidating image, which was just what they wanted.

The doors opened and Admiral Luss entered with one of his lieutenants.

"Supreme Leader," Luss greeted Kylo with an exaggerated bow that lacked any true respect. He was radiating a smug sense of triumph beneath his carefully blank demeanor. "I came as soon as I heard."

"I didn't call for you," Kylo pointed out. He could feel Hux's anticipation thick in the Force and he closed off his senses to block the distraction out. 

"With the tragic loss of General Hux, the fleet needs a commander." Luss didn't look like he thought it was much of a tragedy. Even without using the Force he could hear the man's barely contained glee. "My ship was close."

"I bet it was," Hux muttered, the helmet muffling his words so that only Kylo could hear him. 

Kylo stood up, enjoying the way the dias added to his already formidable height. "I find that hard to believe, Admiral. You were supposed to be overseeing the coaxium shipments on Kessel. That's not very close."

Luss' confident demeanor faltered and he shrank back from Kylo. "Supreme Leader, I believe you're mistaken--"

"You question me?" Kylo extended his hand and Luss lifted up onto his tiptoes, his hands grasping at his throat. The guards shifted behind him, their armor rustling, but he ignored them. He had this well in hand. He dropped his fist and Luss fell, barely managing to keep his feet under him. "General Hux was my chosen commander. You are not."

Luss straightened, a calculating look on his face. "I'm sorry to hear that. I was under the impression that you didn't really concern yourself with the fleet. One leader should be as good as another, and I'm _much_ better than that whelp."

Kylo moved forward and raised his hand again, but Luss was a step ahead. He quickly signaled with a jerk of his arm and all of the Praetorian guards except for Hux descended upon Kylo.

Kylo threw one guard forward with the Force and drew his lightsaber just in time to stop the descent of another's vibro-voulge. He dodged to the side and stepped forward inside the reach of the pole arm, running the guard through before he could recover.

He spun around and was met by two more guards. One of them caught his lightsaber in the grip of his bilari electro-chain whip, holding it in place while the other rushed at him, blade drawn. Kylo held tightly to his lightsaber so he didn't lose it and reached out with the Force trying to slow the other man. 

These guards may not be as skilled or well equipped as the ones on the Supremacy, but he didn’t have Rey for back up either. It was taking everything he had to hold the two men at bay when the officer who’d accompanied Luss lashed out with another whip, surrounding Kylo’s torso. Its vibrating blades cut through the thick quilting of his jacket and he had to redirect the Force to keep it from cutting through his skin, but he lost focus on his lightsaber and it slipped from his grasp.

“I see you came prepared for mutiny,” Kylo said through gritted teeth. The difficulty of holding all of his attackers at bay was draining him quicker than he’d like. 

Luss stepped into his sight line. "I was willing to use you as figurehead, but you aren't needed. Snoke was hard enough to work with. You're a nightmare." He looked over Kylo's shoulder. "Take him out."

He struggled against the whip, pushing out with the Force, but it wasn't budging. He heard Hux coming up from behind him and braced for an impact. This was the opportunity Hux had been waiting years for, but instead of a blade to the back he heard a rapid succession of blaster shots. 

Luss fell to the ground, a charred hole in his forehead. The lieutenant with the whip also collapsed, as well as the guard holding Kylo's lightsaber, a precise blaster shot hitting the weak spot in his armor. 

Kylo called his lightsaber to him with the Force and raised it just in time to stop the last guard as he swung his blade at Kylo's head. He quickly freed himself from the whip and turned around. The only remaining guard was Hux, his discarded vibro-voulge on the ground and his blaster in hand.

People had a habit of underestimating Hux to their detriment. Luss had picked the wrong person to usurp, dismissing Hux as a threat to his own peril. Kylo vowed then and there that he wouldn't be one of those people ever again.

Hux took off the red helmet, his sweat damp hair plastered across his forehead, and crossed the room to stare down at Luss' body. "I never liked him."

"Do you like anybody?"

"Not really." Hux gave Kylo a small smile that felt strangely like camaraderie. 

He opened himself up to the Force and studied Hux. "You saved my life. This was the perfect opportunity to usurp me and yet, you saved my life."

"You saved mine." Hux met his eyes, holding a gaze longer than was entirely comfortable. The tension in the air thickening despite the threat having passed. Finally, after several intense moments he dropped his eyes to look down at the body at his feet. "Besides I'd rather tether myself to you than let a man like Luss control the Order."

"Are you?" Kylo asked softly. "Tethered to me?"

Hux looked up at him. "I've made my choice.”

Kylo didn't sense any deceit in the Force, only stubborn determination tinged with arousal. Because of the battle or an attraction to Kylo, he couldn't tell, but it didn't matter. He could taste the lust swirling around them and he wasn't known for holding back when he wanted something.

Kylo closed the distance between them, cupping Hux's face in both hands. He traced his thumbs along the sharp cheekbones he'd been admiring earlier. "And I've made mine."

He pulled Hux forward into a fierce kiss, giving into the impulse that had been building ever since he’d let his emotions for Hux free from the wall. Hux stood rigid in his embrace for a moment, before leaning into him and returning the kiss with bruising force and sharp teeth. 

Kylo ran his hands over the layers and layers of armor, trying to find the fasteners so that he could feel Hux's skin to no avail. Hux pulled back, his pale skin flushed. "I hate this armor."

"Me too." Kylo stepped back, using all of his willpower to get his body under control, and looked around the room at the destruction they'd wrought. He couldn't avoid comparing it to the last time he'd been in this position. He'd offered partnership to Rey and she'd thrown it back into his face, but Hux wouldn't. Hux shared his goals.

Kylo held his hand out, a silent offer. Hux stared at it, his thoughts more conflicted now than they'd been during the kiss. 

"I see you now," Kylo said. He hadn't had the right words for Rey, but he knew what Hux needed to hear. "Your father didn't. Snoke didn't. But I do. Join me and we can cast aside the enmity of our past to bring order to the Galaxy together."

Hux stared at Kylo's hand. "Together?"

"Together," Kylo repeated.

Hux stepped forward and hesitantly took the offered hand. Kylo gripped him tightly and pulled him in for another kiss, softer this time. 

The door opened and Hux broke free right before a squad of stormtroopers marched in blasters drawn. He snapped at their commander, "You're late. Were you sleeping at your stations or hoping to drag your feet long enough for the coup attempt to be successful?"

The commander stammered in terror and Hux waved his hand dismissively at the bodies. "Clean up this mess and then report to the Captain."

Hux straightened his hair, slicking it back again as he looked around the room. “Ren, please tell me you aren’t going to continue this farce? The Praetorian guards have outlived their usefulness.”

“I agree. I think it’s time I call my Knights home. I can trust them to watch my back.”

“Just as long as they don’t get in my way,” Hux said, a challenge in his voice.

Kylo looked pointedly at the blaster charred bodies. “I don’t think they can afford to.”

**

The wall loomed large in front of him. He once again visualized a bucket of mortar and it appeared in his hand. It was time to finish repairing the crack, and perhaps even build up a new layer of wall in front of the first. 

This was his last chance to dismiss his feelings for Hux. He could already feel them growing and changing, becoming more important to him by the day. It was a dangerous thing leaving them free and unchecked, but he was no longer a young man with the beginnings of an inconvenient crush. 

Being with Hux may end up a weakness, but it didn't feel that way now. Having someone to stand by his side and watch his back made him feel strong. For the first time he wasn't alone on this path. That was feeling was worth the risk.

Mind made up, he packed the mortar over the crack and envisioned it hardening with the strength of a diamond. The other things he'd hidden behind the wall were more dangerous and he couldn’t afford to set them free. They would fill him with conflict and threaten the fulfillment of his destiny.

Once he’d built up several layers of mortar, he left his meditation and joined Hux in bed. Sharing a bed was still a new and at times awkward thing, but it came with some benefits. He pressed an open mouth kiss to Hux’s shoulder. If only he’d known how powerfully Dark an emotion lust was before, he could have indulged a bit less of his anger and still gotten the same results.

“Again?” Hux asked. “You’re insatiable.”

“Are you complaining?”

“No.” Hux rolled over and gave him a slow, lingering kiss. “I much prefer you getting your aggression out this way than destroying my ship. But it’s late and we have to finish the 'negotiations' tomorrow."

“Very well.” Kylo slid his arm around Hux's waist and pulled him close, nuzzling his neck. “Clear your schedule for tomorrow night.”

Hux laughed into Kylo’s chest, the sound lacking any of its usual sarcasm. 

Yes, this was worth the risk. 

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! Comments and kudos are much appreciated.
> 
> You can find my social media information in my profile. :D


End file.
